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IU subscribes to far too many databases to list here. What is more important than knowing which particular database to use (for that, see the research guides or talk to the subject specialist listed on each research guides) is understanding a few basic points about databases:
Databases range from highly specific to highly generalized. Each has benefits and drawbacks as you might expect. International Medieval Bibliography, to exemplify a specific one, has cataloged articles into subjects like "heraldry" and "Crusades," but the database is obviously less useful to non-medievalists.
Databases are each a bit different from each other. It is well worth your time to glance at the "help" page, especially the sections on searching. Also see if the database has a "thesaurus" (which advises you what terms to search, e.g. Revolutionary War and not American Revolution).
While each database is unique to some degree, a few companies (Ebsco, Proquest, Gale, etc.) run a large percentage of them. If you pay attention to who owns which ones, it will help your searching.
Keep track of where you search, what you search, and what you find. Otherwise you will inevitably replicate your work over and over again.
Below are just a few databases that might be of use in the humanities. It is a small percentage of what's available. For a slightly longer list, click here.
Provides full-text coverage of magazine, newspaper, and scholarly journal articles for most academic disciplines.
This multi-disciplinary database provides full-text for more than 4,500 journals, including full text for more than 3,700 peer-reviewed titles. PDF backfiles to 1975 or further are available for well over one hundred journals, and searchable cited references are provided for more than 1,000 titles.
Bibliographic database focusing on the history and life of the United States and Canada, indexing more than 1,800 journals published, dissertations and reviews.
In addition to the principle English language sources in the field, it includes some (about 10%) in other languages, as well as some state and local history journals. All aspects of historical inquiry are represented: diplomatic, ecclesiastical, agricultural, cultural, economic, political, military and others. The index also provides citations to book and media reviews from about 100 journals and references to abstracts of dissertations in the field. All abstracts are in English.
ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials is a combined index to journal articles, book reviews, and collections of essays in all fields of religion, biblical studies, world religions, church history, religious perspectives on social issues.
Coverage in the database begins in 1908, and there is indexing for some journal titles back into the nineteenth century. Full text is available for many electronic articles and book reviews in over 100 journals.
Citations to articles, books, conference papers, pamphlets, dissertations and other publications about gender inequality, masculinity, post-feminism, and gender identity.
Gender Studies Database, provides indexing and abstracts covering the full spectrum of gender-related scholarship. It offers over a million records from scholarly and popular publications, including journals, books, conference papers and theses.
Provides full text access and indexing for e-journals and e-books from a variety of scholarly publishers. Covers the fields of literature and criticism, history, the visual and performing arts, cultural studies, education, political science, gender studies, economics, and many others.
Comprehensive collection of dissertations and theses from around the world, including millions of works from thousands of universities. Each dissertation published since July, 1980 includes a 350-word abstract written by the author. Master's theses published since 1988 include 150-word abstracts. Simple bibliographic citations are available for dissertations dating from 1637.
Includes the following:
ProQuest Dissertations & Theses: UK & Ireland
ProQuest Dissertations & Theses: A & I
ProQuest Dissertations & Theses: CIC Institutions